Remembering Edwin Samuel Jones, OJ, CD

THE SUNDAY GLEANER, MAY 2, 2021 | FEATURE1 I6 TRIB T TO PROF EDWIN JONES FEATURE PROFESSOR EDWIN JONES ... T HE MONA School of Business and Management (MSBM) joins the Mona Campus, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica, the region, and the global scholarly community in celebrating the amazing accomplishments and outstanding contributions of this academic giant. Without a doubt, Professor Edwin Jones has left indelible footprints on the expanse of the higher education arena that have inspired students and colleagues alike. He was the doyen of public-sector management in this part of the world and a super-productive scholar and teacher of research philosophy andmethods. He was selflessly committed to imparting knowledge to several generations of university students, aspiring researchers and even seasoned scholars. He added tremendous value to the research community and, consequently, to the advancement of knowledge. He enjoyed a prolonged run of academic excellence andwas a superstar to several generations of aspiring scholars. After his brilliant run in theDepartment of Government and the wider frontiers of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Jones gave unstintingly of his time and energy in a post-retirement activity at the Mona School of Business and Management. He brought the full scope of his experience and knowledge to bear on several exceedingly ambitious undertakings that the school embarked on. He was an inspiration to students and teachers alike, and the primary go-to person for the development of newprogrammes, as well as curricula review and revision. In addition, Prof Jones was the architect of the MSc and diploma programmes in sports and events management; the servicesmanagement concentration; and joint programmes with other professional areas within and outside of the university. He was teacher, leader, coach and scholarly advisor to generations of MSBM’s doctoral students. If all that was not enough, Professor Joneswas instrumental in accomplishing MSBM’smissionof obtainingaccreditation from both the University Council of Jamaica and, internationally, from the Association of MBAs. He led a team that developednewMSBMprogrammes, such as the master of business management, sports and eventsmanagement, aswell as joint programmeswithother professional bodies within and outside the university. What a man, what a scholar! Indeed, he was an inspiration to the ‘school’, a wellspring of scholarly energy, and a shining example to many generations of scholars. PROFESSOR EVAN DUGGAN Former Dean (FSS) and Former Executive Director Mona School of Business and Management UWI ‘Amazing accomplishments and outstanding contributions’ PROFESSOR EVAN DUGGAN E DWIN SAMUEL Jones served as professor of public administration in the Department of Government at The University of the West Indies from 1990 to 2006. He constructed his professorial chair on a stellar foundation. He took his teacher’s certificate from the then Mico Teachers’ College on a Government of Jamaica Scholarship in 1962 and, between 1964 and 1968, he stormed brilliantly through the UWI Faculty of Social Sciences on a Government of Jamaica Bursary, taking the BSc Economics degree with First Class Honours in 1967 and the MSc in Government a year later. In 1967, he captured the N.N. Nethersole Government Award for the best performance of the year in Government. And in 1968, after obtaining a diploma with distinction in Advanced Research Methodology from the University of Michigan, he proceeded to the University of Manchester, there to take his doctorate in Public Administration in 1970. Following a two-year stint in the Motherland at the University of Zambia, Dr Jones returned to his beloved home at UWI, firmly on the road to academic leadership. ‘THE PROF’ For several years, Edwin Jones was ‘the Prof ’ to all denizens of The UWI’s Department of Government. He made his outstanding mark as dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and in numerous other roles, but it was as the Prof that he will be remembered whenever the university honours its heroes. In that capacity, Professor Jones served ceaselessly as a strong, perceptive and sensitive mentor to his colleagues, always keeping students specially in mind. More than any other Mona scholastic leaders, the Prof collaborated with younger academics in producing first-rate journal articles. From his colleagues as well as his students, he gently demanded excellence, and he presented excellence in his teaching, collegiality, and his willingness to share from his treasure trove of knowledge of Caribbean society. For Prof, in his own words, the course outline represented a “contract with students”: he expected careful and thorough reading of the items on his outline, together with full engagement in vibrant class discussion. He also served as a bridge between his students, whom he sometimes called his ‘professors’, and lecturers and scholars of standing in the history of the Department of Government. Professor Jones’ writing reflects a wide range of intellectual pursuits. His distinguished 2015 publication, Contending with Administrivia: Competition for Space, Benefits and Power , is a model of precision and acuity which subjects the Jamaican public sector to analysis drawn from almost five decades of observation, praxis and reflection. His 1987 book, Coalitions of the Oppressed: Interest Groups in Colonial Political Systems , demonstrated core elements of his world view, and especially his commitment to the poor and dispossessed. Many of his other publications underline his interest in contemporary political affairs and demonstrate impeccable judgement. Still in the academic sphere, Professor Jones was for several years a professorial fellow at the Mona School of Business and, following his retirement from Mona, he took up the position as head of the Institute of Technological and Educational Research at The Mico University College, another institution he was proud to call home. PUBLIC SERVICE Prof Jones also embraced public service with a passion. At various times from 1974 forward, he was a special adviser to the Government of Jamaica, assisting ministers in portfolio areas as diverse and divergent as housing, labour, tourism, and local government. Between 1989 and 1993, he served, too, as a special adviser in the Office of the Prime Minister, mainly on issues of public-sector reform and modernisation. He was, in addition, an active and long-serving member of the Public Service Commission and on various public-sector boards, including, among others, the board of the Planning Institute of Jamaica. For his services to the academy and the public sector, the Prof received national honours, first of Commander of the Order of Distinction and, subsequently, he was elevated, most deservedly, to the rank of Order of Jamaica. THE MAN On the personal side, Prof Jones was a man with a spirit of rare generosity. He was a family man who has left behind his dear wife Maria and sons – we grieve with them as we do with other family members and loved ones across the world. Prof Jones was committed ‘Intellectual giant’ CONTRIBUTED STEPHEN VASCIANNIE PLEASE SEE GIANT, I 7 CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF 28 October 1940 to 10 March 2021 Family Man, Teacher, Scolar, Mentor, Public Servant and Friend Saturday 8 May 2021, 11:00 a.m. JOIN ONLINE by this LIVE STREAMING LINK https://youtu.be/0yP6U003K48 Emeritus Professor the Hon. Edwin Samuel Jones, OJ, CD BROTHER, SCHOLAR, PATRIOT, Our condences to Maria, Nandi, Asif & Trudy, Kashka & Jessica, Keisa, Edwin’s relatives and his cadre of friends and esteemed colleagues from THE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF THE PORTVIEW CENTRE GROUP OF COMPANIES. You had your say. You played your part, through to your journey’s end. HUSBAND, FATHER, FRIEND.